Summer means barbecues, beaches and dining outdoors. Restaurants all over Northern Virginia have patios, porches, decks and other outdoor dining spaces that promise a pleasant dining experience. Here is a sampling.
<mh>McLean, Great Falls, Vienna
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Three Pigs of McLean, located at 1394 Chain Bridge Road, 703-356-1700, serves barbecue ribs, pork, beef and chicken, including sandwiches. Prices range from $5 for a sandwich to $12.99 for a full slab of ribs. Meat can also be bought in bulk for $9.75 a pound. Three Pigs is open from 11 a.m.-8 p.m. daily, and open until 9 p.m. on Friday. The outdoor seating seats about 10 people and does not have an awning.
L’Auberge Chez Francois, located at 332 Springvale Road in Great Falls, 703-759-3800, was voted the most romantic restaurant by Washingtonian magazine. This fine dining restaurant specializes in Alsatian French cuisine, which includes seafood and meat entrees, as well as a vegetarian dish. A complete six-course meal is served, ranging in price from $48 to $54. The restaurant is open from 5:30-9:30 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, and from 1:30-8 p.m., Sunday. The nicely landscaped outdoor dining facility, which can be used only in good weather, includes gazebos and seats about 40 people.
Le Relais, located at 1025 Seneca Road in Great Falls, 703-444-4060, serves French dishes that include fish, lamb, beef, salmon and chicken, as well as a vegetarian dish. Entrees range from $21 to $29, and lunch items range from $6.50 to $7.50 for appetizers and $9.50-$13.50 for entrees. Lunch is served every day except Monday and Saturday, and dinner is served every night except Monday. The patio, which has umbrellas over the tables and a trellis with not-quite-matured vines, seats about 30 people. Le Relais is available on Mondays for private parties and has wine tasting on Wednesday evenings.
The Greek Taverna, located at 6828 Old Dominion Drive in McLean, 703-556-0788, serves traditional Greek food that includes lamb, sirloin, seafood and chicken, as well as soups and salads. It is open for lunch and dinner Monday through Friday, and dinner on Saturday and Sunday. Prices range from $7.95 to $10.75 for lunch, and from $9.75 to $17.75 for dinner. The patio, which has an umbrella on each table and boxes of flowers on the fence surrounding it, seats about 50 people.
Bistro 123 serves French and American cuisine at 265 Maple Avenue East in Vienna, 703-938-4397. Prices are anywhere from $15-$25, and they offer a variety of steak, seafood, chicken, duck, lamb and vegetarian dishes. The restaurant boasts an outdoor dining area with umbrella-covered tables. Lunch is served Tuesday through Saturday from 11:30 a.m. until 2 p.m., while dinner is offered from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Monday to Thursday, and 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. There is a special "early bird" three-course dinner available Monday through Thursday at a price of $18.95 per person.
Konami, 703-821-3400, is located at 8221 Leesburg Pike in Vienna. Hours are from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for lunch Monday through Friday, and dinner is served from 5:30 p.m. until 10:30 p.m., and 11 p.m. on Fridays. Lunch is served on weekends from noon until 3 p.m. and dinner is available from 5 p.m. until 11 p.m. on Saturdays, and 5 p.m. until 10:30 p.m. on Sundays. They serve Japanese food and have outdoor dining for up to 20 people.
The Serbian Crown, 703-759-4150, is located at 1141 Walker Road in Great Falls. They have a terrace for about 40 people, and have gypsy music from Wednesday through Sunday. They have Russian and French dinners Monday through Friday from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Entrees range from $20 to $30. They also offer lunch on Friday afternoons, at costs from $10.95 up to $24.95.
<mh>Reston, Herndon
<bt>Bistro Bistro, located at 1811 Library St. in Reston, 703-834-6300, serves American cuisine that includes entrees like salmon, pork chops and veal; sandwiches like Reubens and chicken breast; and salads such as a steak salad and chicken Caesar salad. Entrees range from $10.95 to $21.95. Bistro Bistro is open daily for lunch and dinner. Live bands play every Wednesday and Thursday, and one can sit on the patio, if the weather permits, and listen to the bands. There is a DJ and dancing on Friday and Saturday nights. A $3 cover is usually charged on Wednesday and Thursday.
The Ice House Cafe and Oyster Bar, located at 760 Eden St. in Herndon, 703-471-4256, serves American food and specializes in seafood, which is served fresh daily, although they also serve such dishes as lamb, duckling and filet mignon. Prices range from $12 to $24.95. Dinner is served Monday through Saturday, and lunch is served Monday through Friday, from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. There is live jazz every Friday and Saturday from 8 p.m.-midnight, at no cover charge. The outdoor patio has an awning in case of bad weather, but one can't hear the music very well from outside.
Il Cigno Restaurant, located at 1617 Washington Place in Reston, 703-471-0121, serves Italian cuisine. Dinner is served nightly, and lunch is served Monday through Friday. Entrees range from $6 to $15 for lunch and $13 to $25 for dinner. There is live music on Tuesday and Saturday on the patio outside, and there is an open mic night on Wednesday nights. The expansive patio seats 150 to 200 people and overlooks Lake Anne. The awning above the patio is weatherproof, making outside dining possible even in the rain.
The American Cafe, located at the Worldgate Center in Herndon, 703-318-8986, serves what they call “eclectic American food," which includes pasta, pasta pies, ribs, burgers and sandwiches. It is currently featuring New York strip steak. Prices range from $5.99 to $13.99. The American Cafe is open for lunch and dinner seven days a week. The patio, which seats 32 people, is partly under an awning and has umbrellas over the tables, although it cannot be used in bad weather.
Clyde's of Reston, found at 11905 Market St. at the Reston Town Center, can seat as many as 155 people on the outdoor patio. The restaurant offers lunch and dinner seven days per week, and their prices go from $5.75-$19.75. The dining room is open until midnight Monday through Saturday, and 11 p.m. on Sunday. A late-night menu is served in the bar until 2 a.m. They can be reached by phone at 703-787-6601.
Carpool offers a patio that can seat 50 people at 208 Elden St. in Herndon. They are open from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. Monday through Saturday, and from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Sundays. They serve American grill food, and their entrees are priced anywhere from $6.95 to $11.95. Carpool's telephone number is 571-203-7995.
Glory Days is located at 2567 John Milton Drive in the Fox Mill Shopping Center in Herndon, 703-390-5555. Entrees range from $5.99-$14.99, and they are open from 4 p.m. until midnight Monday through Thursday. Glory Days is open 11:30 a.m. to midnight on Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Sunday. About 45-50 people can be seated on their patio with an awning.
Ned Devine's specializes in Irish-American food seven days a week, from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. The patio seats about 40 people and a DJ spins there on Wednesday, followed by live music from Thursday to Saturday. The phone number at Ned Devine's is 703-793-7376, and their address is 2465 Centreville Road in Herndon.
Paolo's is also located in the Reston Town Center at 11898 Market St., 703-318-8920. They serve California-style Italian food and Mediterranean creative cuisine. Paolo's outdoor patio can accommodate up to 60 people, and they have live music on Thursday nights from 10 p.m.-1:30 a.m. There is a DJ playing music on Wednesday and Saturday nights. Entrees start at $9.95 for lunches and dinner ranges from $12 to $30. They are open seven days a week with a brunch on Sundays from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
The Jasmine Cafe, 703-471-9114 is found at 1633 Washington Plaza on Lake Anne in Reston. They offer 50 outdoor seats and serve contemporary American food. Lunch is available from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and prices are from $7.50-$11. Dinner entrees cost between $15-$19 and are served from 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. They also offer a Sunday brunch.
Cafe Montmarte is located a few doors down at 1625 Washington Plaza, also at the Lake Anne Center in Reston, 703-904-8080. They serve French cuisine from Monday through Thursday 11:30 a.m. to midnight, serving until midnight on Fridays. Hours on Saturday and Sunday are from 10 a.m. until 1 a.m. Brunch is served on weekends from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and outdoor seating is available.
<mh>Burke, Fairfax, Springfield
<bt>The Blue Iguana, located at 12727 Shoppes Lane in Fair Lakes 703-502-8108, is open for lunch and dinner. It serves American cuisine that ranges from steaks to seafood to salad, as well as a wide variety of sandwiches. The outdoor tables have umbrellas and are under an awning in case of inclement weather. Dinner entrees range from $13 to $20, and lunch, including sandwiches, ranges from $6 to $14. The bar is open until 2 a.m. nightly, and a DJ spins tunes Wednesday through Saturday starting at 9:30 p.m. A Sunday brunch is offered from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
P.J. Skidoos, located at 9908 Lee Highway in Fairfax, 703-591-4515, serves American cuisine that includes burgers, chicken and steaks. Prices range from sandwiches for $6 to filet mignon for $18.95. Open from 11 a.m.-11 p.m. daily except Sunday, when it closes at 9 p.m. and has a $10.95 per person brunch from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. P.J. Skidoos has a raw bar that serves seafood, and a happy hour from 11 a.m.-7 p.m., Monday through Friday. Ladies night is Tuesday and an acoustic guitarist plays on Thursdays. There is a DJ on Friday and Saturday nights from 9 p.m.-2 a.m., and acoustic night is Wednesday at 9 p.m. Speakers are set up on the outdoor patio, which has tables with umbrellas, to allow those who dine outside to enjoy the music.
Rafagino Italian Restaurant, located at 9570 Old Keene Mill Road in Burke, 703-451-1570, serves pasta, seafood and meat, which includes veal, lamb, chicken and filet mignon. Entrees range from $11.95 to $19.95. The outdoor seating, which is all covered, seats about 25 to 35 people. The restaurant is open for dinner every night except Monday.
Kilroy's, located at 5250 Port Royal Road in Springfield, 703-321-7733, serves American food that includes prime rib, pasta, fish, salad and burgers. Sandwiches range from $5.75 to $7.25, and entrees range from $9 to $19. Kilroy's is open from 11:30 a.m.-1:15 a.m. seven days a week. Sunday brunch is served from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. for $10.95 for adults and $3.95 for children 4-11. Kilroy's also has a seafood raw bar and happy-hour specials. There is live music every Tuesday and Saturday, and sometimes on Sunday. The patio, which seats about 40-60 people, includes a small pond with a waterfall in one corner. The patio is covered with a tent and can be used year-round in all weather. In the winter, Kilroy's pumps heat into the tent for a pleasant cold-weather, outdoor dining experience.
Glory Days is located at 3059 Nutley St. in Fairfax, and offers outdoor dining for as many as 30 people. Entrees range from as low as $6 to $17. They are open from 4 p.m. until midnight Monday through Thursday, and from 11:30 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday. Hours are 11:30 a.m. until 11 p.m. on Sundays.
For an outdoor Tex-Mex dining experience, Tia's Tex-Mex in Fairfax is available. They can be reached at 703-278-2860, and are located at 12179 Fair Lakes Parkway. They can accommodate about 100 outdoor diners, and their entrees range in price from $5.99-$14.99. The hours for the dining room are 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, and it remains open until 12 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
Bailiwick Inn serves French-American cuisine at 4023 Chain Bridge Road in Fairfax, 703-691-2266. They have seating at 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, except on Saturday when the first seating is at 6 p.m. They have outdoor seating for three or four parties, and are a AAA Four Diamond rated restaurant. Bailiwick Inn serves five course meals that range from $59 to $69.
<mh>Centreville, Chantilly, Clifton
<bt>Copeland's of New Orleans, located at 13810 Braddock Road in Centreville, 703-222-0089, serves Cajun American cuisine for lunch and dinner seven days a week, including a Sunday brunch. Prices range from $10 to $17. A jazz band performs on Sunday mornings. The covered patio, which offers a great view of the mountains, seats about 60 people. Copeland's also has a Sunday brunch from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m.
Bungalow Billiards is found at 13891 Metrotech Drive in Chantilly, and serve American cuisine. They can accommodate up to 40 people on the outdoor patio, and have live music on Tuesdays and DJ's from Wednesday through Saturday. The restaurant can be reached at 703-502-3925, and their entrees range in price from $4.95-$10.95.
Backyard Bar and Grill, 703-802-6400, is located nearby at 13899 Metrotech Drive. A patio is available for as many as 80 diners, and they are open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and stay open until midnight on Friday and Saturday. On Sunday their hours are from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m. Entrees at the Backyard Bar and Grill are anywhere from $7.50 to $19.95 in price.
The Shark Club is located at 14114 Lee Highway in Centreville, 703-266-1888. Outside seating is for 35-40 people, and lunches range from about $6.95-$7.95, while dinner entrees are from about $13 up to $16. They have live bands from Thursday nights through Saturday nights, and have an early evening acoustic guitar player on the patio from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, and 8 p.m.- midnight on Saturdays.
The Hermitage Inn can be found at 7134 Main St., 703-266-1623, in Clifton. They serve dinner from 5:30 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday, offering a three-course menu from $35-$47. They also have Sunday brunch from 11 a.m. until 2:30 p.m., at a cost of $24.95.
<mh>Loudoun County
<bt>The Leesburg Colonial Inn, located at 19 S. King St. in Leesburg, 703-777-5000, is open for lunch and dinner every day and serves American and gourmet Italian food. Prices range from $5.95 to $24.95. There is a solo guitarist on Friday and Saturday nights. The patio, or Colonial garden, seats about 35 people and has umbrellas on the tables that allow customers to sit outside in bad weather.
Tuscarora has outdoor dining for 35-40 patrons at 203 Harrison St. in Leesburg, 703-771-9300. Open for lunch and dinner each day, they have lunches from $8-$15 and dinner entrees that range from $14.50 to $30. Their hours are from 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. from Monday to Thursday, staying open until 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Sunday hours are from 5 p.m. until 9 p.m. They serve American cuisine with an oriental flavor.
Glory Days Grill is located at 21800 Town Center Plaza in Sterling. They have 27 big screen televisions, and their prices range from $5.99-$14.99. They have special children's prices as well. There is capacity for about 20 people to eat outdoors, and the restaurant can be phoned at 703-430-3456.
Basin St. Club and Restaurant offers American Continental cuisine served French New Orleans style. They have an area for outdoor dining, and provide a wide selection of sandwiches, beef, chicken and seafood, served with Cajun flavor. They offer live entertainment many nights, and their schedule can be accessed on the Web at www.basinst.com or 703-404-3440. Hours are Tuesday through Thursday, 5 p.m. to midnight, Friday and Saturday from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m., and on Sundays from 4 p.m. until 11 p.m. There is a cover charge on Friday and Saturday nights, and Basin St. is located at 45965 Regal Plaza in Sterling.